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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28380891">Morning Sickness (or Love In It's Purest Form)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frink/pseuds/Frink'>Frink</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexuality, Breastfeeding, Breeding, Childhood Trauma, Class Differences, Disapproving Family, Exhibitionism, F/M, Family, Fatherhood, Forbidden Love, Hell, Impregnation, Jealousy, Love, Lust, Marriage, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Occult, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Psychology, Religion, Rituals, Romance, Royalty, Secret Organizations, Serial Killers, Smut, Swordfighting, Traditions, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:49:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,177</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28380891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frink/pseuds/Frink</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>True love leaves an indelible mark on the world.</p>
<p>Charlie and Alastor attempt to leave that mark in the form of a child.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alastor/Charlie Magne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sharing Your Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Partial continuation of my previous Charlie/Alastor story 'I Don't Wanna Be Your Lover...'</p>
<p>I'll be honest, in terms of writing quality, I can do a whole lot better than this. That being said, I wanted to explore the idea of what it would be like to start a family in such a hostile place as Hazbin's version of Hell.</p>
<p>Usual little disclaimer: The story itself is my creation but the characters in it are not. Ratings and feedback always accepted.</p>
<p>Two Chapters will be marked NSFW, but if you can't handle that, then what are you even doing clicking on this story, silly?!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been six years since Charlie and Alastor first met. They eloped on a warm April day in the basement of an old abandoned warehouse.</p><p>It was a small ceremony. The minister was unlicensed and stunk of booze. Angel Dust was the only witness, and he slept through most of it.</p><p>Charlie said it was the thought that counted. Vows and "I Do's" were exchanged, though no ring was prepared. She said they didn't need one. The whole thing lasted about an hour. There was no reception.</p><p>Charlie said it was the happiest moment of her life.</p><p>Her father Lucifer had outlawed marriage and public displays of love for centuries. According to his words, "Hell is a place of despair and suffering. Love has no place here."</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>About three months later, life had pretty much returned to normal. Work at the hotel kept them busy. Charlie would make breakfast for the staff on Sundays. She would always make sure to give Alastor an extra pancake, along with a smile and a peck on the cheek. Other than that, public displays of affection were kept to a minimum. They rarely kissed or held hands in public. If you asked any of the hotel residents, they'd be hard pressed to notice anything was different about them.</p><p>Though Charlie's father would make a fuss about their relationship, her mother Lilith silently approved of her finding someone that made her happy.</p><p>"What is it about Alastor that you like so much?" Said Lilith.</p><p>Charlie pondered for a while. "You know... I can't really think of one reason in particular. He makes me say and do things that don't really make a whole lot of sense. Logic would tell me that it's not smart to be in a relationship with a serial killer. But love makes you do stupid things sometimes, you know?"</p><p>"I'm not sure I follow" her mother said, sipping her cup of tea.</p><p>"I mean, it's not like I chose to fall in love with him at any one point. It just kind of happened. At some point my heart just took over and I started just going with whatever felt right. Being with him just makes me feel good. I don't know how else to explain it."</p><p>Lilith smiled, "I think I understand a little. Your father was always so brash when he was young. I always loved that fire in his eye, that passion for life."</p><p>Charlie listened to her mother's words intently while taking another sip of tea.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Something Missing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One morning, Charlie and Alastor are getting ready for work. The two share a sink while brushing their teeth. Charlie looks at her figure in the mirror. She then looks down at her stomach and sighs with a frown on her face.</p><p>"Is something wrong dear?" Says Alastor.</p><p>"No. It's nothing." Says Charlie as she continues brushing.</p><p>Charlie had wanted children for a while now, however there were multiple hurdles getting in the way of that dream.</p><p>There was her business at the hotel for one. She had reserved herself to the idea of putting starting a family on hold for the sake of her career. But as the days went on, she looked at the empty hallways of the hotel and would daydream about the pitter patter of little feet running through them.</p><p>There was also the issue of her father. Lucifer had always set her up with boys her age from other noble backgrounds, none of them ever appealed to her, usually striking a combination of pomp, immaturity, and general creepiness. The fact that she had gotten hitched to a mortal demon of common blood would no doubt send him into a rage.</p><p>The act of physically getting pregnant would be no issue at all. Being hellborn meant Charlie could conceive and control her pregnancy at will. The problem came with finding a suitable father, and convince him to have a child with her. Hell wasn't exactly crawling with good father figures.</p><p>Then there was the issue of her actual partner. Alastor was a beautiful and kind soul trapped behind years of baggage. Many had discounted him as a mentally deranged freak. A remorseless killing machine. Charlie was one of the few that saw through to the nuances of his personality.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~</p><p>As a young man Alastor was diagnosed with a combination of low libido and PTSD stemming from childhood abuse and a chemical imbalance due to years of malnutrition.</p><p>Young Alastor was raised by a single mom in the American deep south. His mother was deeply religious and an avid follower of a popular radio preacher / doctor. This man wrote several books about how all the suffering in one's life was due to "impure thoughts" and "sexual perversions". One of the key aspects of his treatment was a diet of very bland food that wasn't very nutritionally sound, as he saw exciting food and drink as the work of the devil.</p><p>One night Alastor's mom caught him with a hand down his pants. She verbally berated him and insisted over and over that "Jesus cries every time you touch yourself."</p><p>This obviously wrought havoc on the boy's developing psyche, and he spent most of his adolescent years avoiding girls like the plague, seeing them as nothing more temptacious agents of Satan.</p><p>He also started displaying unusual behaviors compared to his classmates. He got into fights often, and teachers would sometimes catch him torturing small animals.</p><p>These were seen as minor acts of rebellion until the night Alastor accidentally killed a man that was trying to mug him. But rather than feel horror and regret at his actions, he felt excited. A misplaced, quasi-sexual rush that had replaced the part of his brain that felt genuine romantic interest toward people. </p><p>Thus sparked a several decades long love affair with torture and murder. An affair that lasted long after the man himself had died.</p><p>But something clicked when he met Charlie. For the first time ever, life or afterlife, someone was taking real genuine interest in his physical and emotional well-being.</p><p>He once asked her why she took pity on an old wretch like him. She used a metaphor about glass houses and stones. Saying "Everyone down here has done some terrible things. But there's no time limit on making up for them. There's no wrong so big that it can't be made right again. That's at the very core of my being."</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>By far the biggest hurdle for Charlie's goal was Alastor's asexuality.</p><p>For years, she had tried nearly every trick imaginable to get him to open up more in bed. The simple unfortunate truth is, Charlie wanted sex multiple times a week, while Alastor would only crave it a couple times a year if she were lucky. Having a child is of course going to be difficult when the sex drive of your partner is a hundred times lower than yours.</p><p>Every time she would touch him or kiss him in a sensual way, a deep indescribable discomfort would rack his body. Almost as if a painful mental block was getting in the way of any pleasure.</p><p>Only on rare occasions would he show any interest in sex. She had given him a cell phone and instructed him to call or text her if he ever felt lonely or horny, at which point, Charlie would drop everything she was doing and rush over to their apartment for some alone time. This was especially frustrating when they were working long shifts at the hotel. "I want to make sure you can have me whenever you want me." She said.</p><p>Alastor made extra effort around birthdays and Valentine's day to get himself into the mood. He tried watching pornography once, felt sick to his stomach, and shut it off after about 10 seconds. Charlie would often help by sending a naked photo of herself and a caption saying how much she loved him.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>One evening after date night, as Alastor was driving them home, Charlie whispered something in his ear. His ears perked up instantly as he blushed.</p><p>"A-are you sure?" He said.</p><p>She simply smiled at him, eyes half-lidded.</p><p>"Um... Okay. How about we get started tomorrow night?" He said nervously.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Getting It On (NSFW)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(Alastor's room, Evening)</p>
<p>Alastor was lying in bed, loosening the uncomfortable tie from his dress shirt. The door opens up from his bathroom. His eyes widen and his heart begins to pump furiously. Charlie playfully dances in, wearing a set of lacy pink lingerie. </p>
<p>She takes his hand and pulls him over to a recliner in a dimly lit corner of the room. His breath shallows and his pants tighten, member already half hard. She seductively sways and undulates her hips, allowing him full view of her slim figure. Pink fabric juxtaposed against her milky white skin. Drunk on his undevided attention, she sat down on his lap facing him, her legs spread all the while. She slithered up and down his body like a snake, unbuttoning his shirt and grinding her pelvis into his, trying to initiate as much skin contact as possible.</p>
<p>His smile reflected genuine ecstasy, as opposed to the superficial facade he was known for. She peppered light, wet kisses down his blushed cheeks and sharp jawline. Alastor quietly moaned as he suppressed his wild urge to rip her clothes off and take her right then. Listening to his flustered breathing turned Charlie on to no end; to know just how crazy she made him.</p>
<p>"Touch me." She whispered, taking his hands and placing them around her waist. She brought her lips to his, exploring and tasting for several minutes. She indulged herself, running her fingertips up his chest, feeling every ripple of him.</p>
<p>"You're the sexiest woman I've ever seen" Alastor said, surprising her with his frankness. She smirked and responded by wiggling her hips over his underwear, feeling his cock stiffen and pulsate underneath.</p>
<p>"I'm glad you feel that way" said Charlie.</p>
<p>Just then, the creaking of the doorknob to Alastor's room sent chilling shockwaves of horror to their faces as they scrambled to hide their compromising position. The pink hand of Angel Dust emerged into the room. "Hey smiles, I was just downstairs and I thought I saw-HOLY SHIT!" Charlie was draped over Alastor, half naked looking like a deer in the headlights (pun very much intended).</p>
<p>Angel busted out laughing. "Look what we got here!"</p>
<p>Alastor was furious. "Oh for the love of... KNOCK, YOU INGRATE!"</p>
<p>"You guys need any pointers?" Angel teased.</p>
<p>Charlie picked up a shoe and flung it at the spider. "Get. OUT!!!"</p>
<p>Angel closed the door to shield himself from the projectile. "Remember to cup the balls, Charlie!" he chuckled before walking away, Charlie's angry screams muffled by the door.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>(5 hours earlier)<br/>Charlie was in the fitting room at a local department store. She was trying on underwear with a saleswoman assisting her. "I just want him to unwrap me like a present, you know? I want something that says 'Suprise! I'm your reward for all the hard work you've done lately'."</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Alastor turned off the music used to set the mood. Now, only giggling and the shuffling of sheets remained. Cold hands ran up Charlie's left leg, his breath tickling her beating chest. He tenderly caressed her cheek before lightly bringing his lips to hers. Her tongue popped and clicked as she tasted him. She spread her legs wider before wrapping them around his back. He fumbled with his belt before letting his trousers fall to the floor, his muscular grey ass poking out from underneath his dress shirt.</p>
<p>"I love you so much" Alastor said while his penis rapidly grew erect.</p>
<p>Charlie effortlessly tossed her brassiere aside, letting her tits hang free. At this point, being naked in front of him came as natural as breathing.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>(5 minutes later)</p>
<p>Alastor was balls deep; his wet dick squelched with every pump into Charlie's tight, warm pussy. His claws dug into her hips, pulling her down onto his cock. Her back arched, arms raised to the heavens, head reeled back in ecstacy. "Oh fuck, put a baby in my belly, Al", she whined like a bitch in heat.</p>
<p>Alastor would drive his tongue into her mouth while smacking her cute, plump little ass, and Charlie squealed with delight. With every thrust, her tits would bounce, adding to Alastor's visual feast. As he was about to cum, the idea of mating and breeding with the literal princess of hell sent his excitement to new heights. </p>
<p>Charlie would whisper encouraging words in his ear to entice him to press on. "Cum for me, baby. This pussy was made for you."</p>
<p>The two clumsily fucked like horny teenagers well into the night. The sounds of wet meat slapping together paired with sweet whispers of adoration formed a symphony of warm musk in the air.</p>
<p>They traded sexy encouragement at eachother in an attempt to make the other orgasm first.</p>
<p>"I love you so much"</p>
<p>"Never leave me"</p>
<p>"This is all for you"</p>
<p>"Does my body turn you on?"</p>
<p>"Show me why I married you"</p>
<p>"Go as deep as you can"</p>
<p>"That's it, get it all in there"</p>
<p>"I need you"</p>
<p>"You're so fucking hot"</p>
<p>"Spread your legs more"</p>
<p>"Let me see your breasts"</p>
<p>"You're gonna be such a good mom"</p>
<p>"I'll always protect you"</p>
<p>As the first spasms of his climax hit,  Charlie's vaginal muscles tightened around his dick, milking him of every last drop of semen.</p>
<p>Their bodies sticky with sweat, they folded and wrapped their limbs around eachother until they fit together like a puzzle. Their naked bodies huddled together for warmth from the chilly nighttime breeze.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Old Man</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(Magne Castle, throne room)</p><p>"YOU WHAT!?" Lucifer screamed, flames engulfing his body.</p><p>Charlie and Alastor had approached her father's gilded throne. In an ironic twist of normalcy, Alastor looked nervous for once and Charlie was now the one displaying bravery toward her father.</p><p>"We're together dad, and there's nothing you can do about it." Charlie grinned mischievously. She knew she had Lucifer metaphorically by the balls here.</p><p>Lucifer stood, rambling with hysterical anger. "Not only did you DELIBERATELY go against my orders-"</p><p>"And guess what?" Charlie pulled at her collar, exposing a small tattoo on her neck of two interlocking circles, representing wedding bands.</p><p>Lucifer howled, spitting fire from his mouth. The inferno spreading all the way up to the palace's cathedral style ceiling. The steel furniture in the room began to melt.</p><p>"Guards! Arrest that man!" Lucifer ordered two armored demons to grab Alastor by his arms.</p><p>"Charlie?" Alastor pleaded, desperately struggling against the guard's grip.</p><p>"You wouldn't dare harm him..." Charlie spoke with confidence.</p><p>Lucifer laughed, "Oh? And what makes you think that?"</p><p>Charlie grinned devilishly. "Oh, no reason... Just that he's the father of your grandchild."</p><p>Both men's expressions turned. One of shock, one of horror. </p><p>Alastor just stood there, eyes wide, mouth agape.</p><p> Lucifer's eye twitched, his upper lip quivering, snarling. He tightened his grip on his cane until it threatened to break. He then gently leaned it against the side of his throne as he stepped forward. The cane fell over, though he made no attempt to pick it up. He took a deep breath then spoke through gritted teeth.</p><p>"You... laid... with that............ URCHIN........" The poison and vitriol that dripped from his mouth from the utterance of that last word was enough to melt through the stone floor.</p><p>As livid as he was, Charlie was absolutely right. Despite how much he despised Alastor, he wasn't about to bring harm to a potential heir. Lucifer was a man of great fury and cruelty, but he was also practical and knew when not to act impulsively. He knew that depriving his grandson or daughter of their father would reflect poorly on the mental wellbeing of the child, not to mention the emotional state of his own daughter.</p><p>The following hours were spent scrambling as servants rushed to prepare rooms for the princess and her husband. Separate rooms of course.</p><p>Queen Lilith was made aware of the situation and rushed to Charlie's room to give comfort and advice to her daughter.</p><p>A few minutes later a servant walked in with a small scroll, presenting it for Charlie to read. "Normally what you do on your own private time is none of our business, but because of the royal blood flowing through your veins, your child is now official state business."</p><p>Charlie crossed her arms "Why can't I just do things my way?"</p><p>The servant frowned, "I'm sorry princess, but Hell has been around for a long time, and your father has insisted we do things in strict accordance with tradition."</p><p>Charlie pouted as she read the scroll. It was an itinerary of various tasks and ceremonies officially recognizing her and Alastor as a couple.</p><p>"And since her majesty insisted on doing things her way, namely getting herself pregnant, it means we're going to have to rush things in order to get everything done properly."</p><p>Charlie squinted at the words on the scroll, looking confused. "What's a bedding ceremony?"</p><p>Lilith blushed and whispered in her daughter's ear. Charlie quickly followed suit, though her blush was much more intense.</p><p>"There is NO WAY I'm doing that!" Charlie protested. "What's to stop me from just walking out the door?"</p><p>"Unfortunately..." The servant stammered. "The king has threatened to kill your gentleman friend and take the child, by force if necessary, if you were to try to leave now."</p><p>Lilith stepped forward to protect her daughter. "Honey, I promise you I won't let anything bad happen to you or Alastor. For now just humor your father and do all his silly little tasks. I'll make sure you're not forced to do anything you're uncomfortable with."</p><p>~~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Ritual</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The following days were filled with awkward gatherings, document signings, dinners, and minor rituals. All of which Charlie had been dragged through all her childhood, but completely foreign to Alastor.</p><p>One night another servant came into Charlie's room and read aloud from another piece of paper. "The princess and her erm... gentleman friend are to report to this address tomorrow night at this time. Please refrain from being tardy."</p><p>(The following night)</p><p>Charlie and Alastor pulled up to a small, inconspicuous building with a gold door. It was cold out (at least cold by hell standards) so they had bundled up in thick coats.</p><p>At the entrance, a skinny door-demon was there to take their coats. "Ah, your majesty, this way please."</p><p>The decor was much fancier on the inside, complete with velvet ropes, suede curtains, marble columns, and red carpets, a true aristocratic's domain.</p><p>As they were led down, faint demonic hymns and low voiced chants echoed down the halls. They were led to a small white wooden door. Behind it the room opened up to reveal a massive stadium sized amphitheatre. How they were able to keep such a complex hidden from the outside world, one could only guess.</p><p>Rows upon rows of chairs were filled with red hooded robed figures. All men, most of them old. One of the men stood by the entrance and cleared his throat.</p><p>"Introducing....!" The man said in a booming voice meant to project throughout the theater. "...The daughter of our dark lord, and the heir to the throne of Hell... Princess Charlotte!"</p><p>A gavel was struck, and several men muttered in acknowledgement like a demonic meeting of parliament.</p><p>"What are we doing here?" Charlie whispered to the robed man next to her. What he responded with caused her stomach to sink.</p><p>"This is the consummation ceremony. Here, your pregnancy will be legitimized, and your child will officially be recognized as an heir."</p><p>Alastor's hair nearly went grey and his face looked like it aged a hundred years in about 5 seconds.</p><p>"What?!" Charlie protested. "How is this a 'consummation' ceremony if I'm already pregnant."</p><p>"Your father wanted your first-born to be granted at least some semblance of official recognition by the state. And this way, Alastor here will officially be recognized as the child's father and a member of the royal famil- erm... extended family."</p><p>"Well that's good news!" Alastor said, completely oblivious to the pissed look on his wife's face. "At least now we know your father won't hunt me down like a dog! Ahahaha!"</p><p>Charlie noticed a bed placed conveniently in the center of the theatre in full view of the hundreds of spectators. She scoffed in disbelief. "You can't be serious... hah, you expect us to do it in front of a bunch of creepy old guys?! There's no freakin' way I'm doing that!"</p><p>"If you leave now, the child will be considered a bastard and forfeit all official protections and privileges afforded to a prince. Your father could also disown you." The servant said. "I feel I should let you know that there is a small loophole in the tradition. You aren't required to do any actual 'consummation'. You just have to lay in bed together for the night.</p><p>"What does my father make of all this? This is supposedly all done in his name" said Charlie.</p><p>"Your mother and father are in the building tonight, though they made it quite clear they would not be witnessing the actual ceremony"</p><p>"This is so unfair!" Charlie cried, voice audibly distressed. "We shouldn't have to humiliate ourselves like-"</p><p>"shhhshhh Charlie, Charlie..." Alastor whispered in his love's ear. He put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug attempting to comfort her. "It's okay everything's going to be alright. Our relationship is stronger than anything, remember?" The tension in her body visually melted upon listening to her husband's reassurance.</p><p>"B-but my dad-!"</p><p>"My love for you is stronger than any roadblocks your dad puts in front of us. You heard the man speak, all we have to do is just lay there. If for nothing else, we should do it for the safety and security of our child. Please? Just trust me on this."</p><p>Charlie's head hung low. "Why do you have to make unreasonable things sound so reasonable?" She sighed, finding it next to impossible to say no to him. "...okay", she said quietly. "But let the history books show..." her voice raised, "... that I thought this was a stupid ceremony from the very beginning!"</p><p>~~~~~~~~</p><p>The two laid there in the bed for an uncomfortable amount of time. The bed frame, headboard, and legs were gold encrusted with jewels. They were fully clothed, as was their right, and they were allowed one thin blanket to give them at least the illusion of privacy. Other than that, the atmosphere was downright unbearable.</p><p>Bright lights shone down on them from several angles. The room was slightly colder than what either would consider comfortable. Charlie considered that maybe that was deliberate to try and coax them into engaging in more "physical" activity. And of course, the hundreds of breathing faces staring down on them made sleep pretty much impossible.</p><p>"I can't stand this!" Charlie said in a frustrated voice. "These sheets are itchy and this pillow is rock hard."</p><p>"I don't think they were expecting us to get much sleep tonight" Alastor responded dryly.</p><p>Charlie groaned and turned on her side, trying to cover her ears with the pillow. "This sucks!"</p><p>The audience would interrupt the silence with light humming, introducing a sense of unease in the air.</p><p>Alastor hated to see her in such a bad mood. He lightly wrapped an arm around her and held her close in a spooning position. "Just try to ignore them, dear. Just focus on me right now, like we're the only ones here right now" he whispered. "Listen to the sound of my voice. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you." His fingers interlocked with hers, he gently brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it.</p><p>~~~~~~~</p><p>In a nearby balcony, overlooking the theater, Lucifer and Lilith were sitting by a fireplace. Lucifer was puffing on a cigar while his wife was sipping a cup of tea.</p><p>"You should come have a look at this" Lilith said leaning against the railing.</p><p>Lucifer continued puffing in his chair. "I'm not about to watch that... worm violate my daughter."</p><p>"Oh there's no violating going on I assure you."</p><p>Lucifer reluctantly stood up and joined at Lilith's side.</p><p>"Remind you of anyone familiar?" She said.</p><p>Lucifer's expression softened. The two young lovers were laying under the covers, holding eachother closely. Their faces were uneasy, yet they found comfort in eachother's arms. Like they were the only two people in the universe, floating through space with only eachother for warmth and company, holding on for dear life.</p><p>"I used to hold Lily like that" he thought. "Not so much nowadays. Now that I think about it, I wonder why I ever stopped."</p><p>"Why do they have to grow up, Lily?" He said, taking his wife's hand in his.</p><p>"I know, it's a shame" She sighed. "You know you can't control her forever, right?"</p><p>"I know. I just wish I could've held on a little longer."</p><p>Lucifer spent the next few minutes staring at Alastor. Pondering... Wondering...</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Charlie groaned, clearly fed up with the whole charade. "Isn't there a way to make this go any faster?"</p><p>One of the attendants standing near the bed approached the couple. "Is there anything the two of you require? A glass of water perhaps?"</p><p>"Yeah, you can tell me when this stupid ceremony is over so we can leave!" She said.</p><p>"The ceremony is concluded, either at nine o'clock tomorrow morning... or until... um... 'completion'."</p><p>Charlie looked confused. "Completion? Completion of what?" She looked around the theater for a few seconds, then blushed. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me!"</p><p>Her desire to be free of this accursed ritual wrestled with her desire for modesty. After a few excruciating minutes of deliberation, her impatience eventually won out. "Alright, we'll do it. These people want a show, we'll give em a fucking show."</p><p>Alastor nearly choked from coughing so loud. "Do what now?"</p><p>"C'mon Alastor, the quicker we get this over with, the quicker we can go home." She said, sitting up against the headboard.</p><p>"I mean, that's kind of the problem. See, I wasn't expecting to do any -erm... 'heavy lifting' tonight" he spoke, trying to maintain his usual smiling demeanor. "I might have trouble... 'performing'... on such short notice, especially given the hundreds of spectators."</p><p>"Fine. I'll warm you up." She looked over to the attendant standing next to her. "Can we get some privacy please?"</p><p>"You have been given one blanket for privacy. Any more would make verification very difficult." The attendant said.</p><p>"There's just no compromise with you people, is there? Fine. I don't need a damn blanket. Why don't I just strip off here and spread my legs for all to see, huh? Shove a camera up there for good measure. Is that enough for your precious 'traditions'?!"</p><p>"That won't be necessary, your majesty."</p><p>~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Public Displays (NSFW)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Still fully clothed, the pair lay under the covers, awkwardly staring at eachother's floodlight washed faces.</p><p>"Do we really have to do this?" Alastor spoke. He looked around at the hooded men surrounding them. "God, they're staring at us..."</p><p>"Hey, focus on me" Charlie said. "We're the only two people in the universe right now, remember?"</p><p>Charlie reached down behind her, under the blanket, her hand fumbling with his belt. She slithered down into his pants and gently began to rub his member. "Can you feel this?"</p><p>Alastor blushed, "...yes" as he tried to remain stoic.</p><p>Trying to remain as discreet as possible, she pulled Alastor's cock out, while simultaneously pulling down her pants and underwear. She brought it under her butt until his sex organ was poked firmly against hers.</p><p>As expected, Alastor was having trouble getting hard. "I told you there would be problems." Rather than where it needed to be, a stiffness formed in his throat. Rather than sweat from arousal, this sweat was that of extreme stress. He felt as if his entire body was seizing up. His subconscious desperately trying to force his body to run away from Charlie, like a deer running from wolves. "I'm sorry Charlie, I just can't do this."</p><p>"I want you to close your eyes" Charlie said. He took a deep breath and followed her instruction. "I know it's hard for you to do this, but I believe in you. You're so confident and talented in everything else in your life, I know you're not gonna let this one aspect of you get you down. Performing in bed has never been your strong suit. So what? Nobody's perfect. I still love you regardless. You're still the god damned radio demon, and you still managed to knock up the bloody princess of hell. Take some pride in those accomplishments!"</p><p>"I... I don't know" Alastor's vigor was waining.</p><p>"Keep your eyes closed. I want you to remember our first date. Do you remember what I was wearing?"</p><p>"Yes. A black dress with heels."</p><p>"And you were wearing that red suit with the hat and bowtie. God, you looked so sexy in that thing."</p><p>Charlie continued rubbing. She could feel a small amount of blood pulsing through it.</p><p>"You were so cocky and charismatic, it made me wanna puke" she giggled. "That smile. Those eyes... I couldn't resist you. I remember asking what it was about me that turned you on. Do you remember what you said?"</p><p>"I said mostly the same things as you. Your smile and your eyes."</p><p>"What else?"</p><p>Alastor slowly wrapped a hand around her body, bringing his face closer to the back of her head. "Your hair... Your voice..." He said, nose in her hair, left hand down between her legs, cheese grater abs pressed up against her back. "Your soft skin... Your long legs..."</p><p>"Join me under the covers. There's something I wanna show you" she said,  submerging her head under the blanket.</p><p>He followed suit, removing his shirt in the process. On slow days at the hotel, whenever she was alone in her room, she would touch herself, fantasizing about a shirtless Alastor in the backyard chopping wood.</p><p>"I was saving this for a special occasion, but I figure you could use the extra motivation right now. Plus I've been so excited and just looking for an excuse to show you this."</p><p>"Show me what?" Alastor questioned.</p><p>With a snap of her finger, Charlie's clothes changed, from her typical hotel attire, to something much more sensual. An intricate weaving of thin, golden body chains, adorned with tiny jewels wrapped around her naked curves. The shining display glowed in the reflection of Alastor's eyes. His cheeks turned slightly red. He still looked composed for the most part, but on the inside, his brain was drooling and wolf whistling like crazy. </p><p>"This enough to get you going?" She teased, cupping her breasts. Her body sprawled out across the length of the bed.</p><p>Alastor simply nodded, dumbstruck by her beauty.</p><p>She chuckled, "Come and get me big boy. Let's make an heir" she said, beckoning him with her finger.</p><p>He leapt toward her, cock raging to life, ready to do the job it was made for. The blanket shuffled with life, propelled by the passionate fucking of the two lovers underneath.</p><p>Alastor tried his best to remain quiet while he ploughed his wife, hands fondling her tits and ass. Body rubbed against body. His claws dug into her supple flesh. He had forgotten just how much of a prime A+ piece of fuckmeat he had married. His penis (metaphorically) tore her pussy to shreds, ramming the soft flesh for all it was worth. She placed her hands on either side of his broad shoulders. He crooned in satisfaction.</p><p>It was quick and dirty, about 5 minutes of brutal ass pounding, balls swinging in the wind. All quietly concealed beneath a thin layer of fabric.</p><p>A little bit of jizz leaked out during his ejaculation onto her stomach and pubic region.</p><p>"Look at what you've done to me Al" Charlie whispered out of sexed-up delerium, showing him the ribbons of cum on her belly. "This is your seed on me. This is your baby inside me. No one can ever take that away from you."</p><p>The two emerged out from under the covers, extremely embarrassed by what they just did.</p><p>They looked out at the gallery. Yup, they're all still staring.</p><p>One of the hooded men stood up and exclaimed "The union is complete!" The men all mumbled in acknowledgement, a gavel was struck, and they all started filing toward the exits.</p><p>"That's it?" Charlie said</p><p>"That's it. You can go now." The hooded man standing next to the bed said.</p><p>"Well that was easy!" Alastor said with a cheesy, post-nut smile on his face.</p><p>Charlie covered her hands over her eyes in embarrassment. "Oh God, what if my parents were watching?"</p><p>~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Duel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(Magne family vacation home, 3 months after ceremony)</p><p>Alastor walked down the mirror-sheen halls of the luxurious manor, admiring the various paintings collected over the centuries as he went.</p><p>Deep down, the gaudy excesses of the privileged class disgusted him, yet he put up with them to satisfy Charlie's homesickness.</p><p>As he passed by several decorative suits of armor, a bleached white figure bled into his periphery. Behind the open door of this military themed room was none other than Lucifer, inspecting and maintaining a set of formal officer's swords that lined mounted to the walls.</p><p>"I'm surprised you're still here." Lucifer said, his back turned to the radio demon.</p><p>Alastor paused, then backpedalled before entering the room. "I haven't overstayed my welcome here, have I?"</p><p>Lucifer's eyes never strayed from the oiled cloth he was using to treat the blade in his hands. "By all means, stay as long as you wish..." he said with a bored expression.</p><p>Alastor grew suspicious of his flippancy. "Really? Because I'm detecting a hint of disingenuousness. I know you dislike me."</p><p>"Dear boy, what ever gave you that impression?" Lucifer said with a thick layer of sarcasm.</p><p>"I know you think I'm some kind of mongrel or pauper because I'm not one of your precious hellborn. I know you believe you're superior to me."</p><p>"I AM superior to you in every conceivable way."</p><p>Alastor clenched a fist. "All that, I'm willing to ignore. But you won't even acknowledge me as Charlie's husband-"</p><p>"That little thing you did with Charlotte behind my back was not a marriage. No one considers marriages performed in hell to be real anyway. Not even the man upstairs.</p><p>What you have instead is an unholy union. The two of you pledge to live your lives together in service to me and only me for all eternity."</p><p>Alastor's expression shifted to that of anger. "You don't own Charlie, and last time I checked, my soul is still my own."</p><p>Lucifer chuckled "For now..." His sword freshly shined and sharpened, he swiftly raised the tip toward Alastor in a threatening motion.</p><p>"What are you gonna do? Kill me? The only thing that will accomplish is Charlie hating you and me coming back stronger than before."</p><p>"I'm not going to kill you Alastor, I already know of your feats as a demon. But today I'm going to test your strength as a man!" he said tossing Alastor a sword off the wall.</p><p>Alastor caught the blade and smiled snidely. "A duel? Really? You know we can just talk this out, right?"</p><p>Lucifer removed his jacket and assumed a fighter's stance, bending his knees and loosening his joints. "You can learn more about a man in a five minute fight  than you can in a lifetime of talking. Now shut up and face me, you coward!"</p><p>The first few motions were slow and deliberate. Neither man showing their hand too soon. Nothing but staring and the occasional feignt for the first minute or so. They circled around the middle of the room, never leaving their opponent time or space to make a move. Eventually Alastor attempted a misdirection strike, which Lucifer easily deflected and responded with a glancing blow that nicked the front of Alastor's shirt.</p><p>Now that the fighting had truly begun, Alastor unleashed a flurry of swipes, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, thrust. All of which were either dodged, deflected or blocked outright. After a clashing of blades, Lucifer pushed off and hit Alastor dead in the face with his crossguard, bloodying his nose.</p><p>"I see you have no intention of fighting fair..." Alastor remarked to himself.</p><p>"Too slow! Too weak!" Lucifer goaded. "How are you going to protect Charlie like that?"</p><p>Alastor cocked an eyebrow. "What?" He said, caught off guard.</p><p>"C'mon you're holding back, I can tell!" Lucifer said, running a hand through his messy hair. "I want to see you unleash the beast!"</p><p>"I'll pass. I don't want to get blood all over this nice clean room of yours. Besides, I happen to think Charlie can protect herself, thank you very much."</p><p>Lucifer lunged forward, knees extended to give the tip of his blade the most range possible. "If she can defend herself, ha....!" he grunted while blocking one of Alastor's blows. "Then what does she even keep you around for?"</p><p>This question shook Alastor's concentration, allowing his opponent to knock the sword from his hand. The pointed tip of Lucifer's sword poked up against his nose.</p><p>"I don't know..."</p><p>Lucifer smiled smugly, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Victory is mine it seems."</p><p>"Yeah..." Alastor said blankly, a dejected look in his eyes.</p><p>"What's the matter? You're normally so smiley and full of yourself. Don't tell me you're that much of a sore loser"</p><p>Alastor stared at his hand, projecting the image of a man questioning his very existence. "What... what does she keep me around for? What does she see in me?"</p><p>Lucifer's expression softened. "Come on now, I didn't mean it like that. She must see something in you. Otherwise she wouldn't have gone this far to protect you!"</p><p>"But maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not good enough for her."</p><p>He placed his sword back on the wall mount, "I'm her father. In my eyes, you're not good enough for her and you never will be. </p><p>No one will.</p><p>But that doesn't mean I don't respect her decisions. She's done a lot of things that I consider to be foolhardy, but those are her decisions to make. She is an adult woman now, and I have to accept that.</p><p>As much as I hate to admit this Alastor, one day, I am going to die. Charlotte will be crowned Queen of Hell, and you will be granted some form of powerless title as well.</p><p>I want to leave behind a legacy, as well as a kingdom worth ruling. I want to give my daughter the best possible chance going forward. Everything... Everything I've done has been for her sake!"</p><p>Alastor grinned, picking his sword up off the ground. "It seems you were right about learning a person's character from fighting them."</p><p>"Oh I've learned plenty. You're very skilled, even if you are just a mortal."</p><p>~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Monster Inside Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(Six weeks later)</p><p>Charlie and Alastor were walking home from a lovely dinner date. Charlie held her now very pregnant stomach. Alastor made sure to walk slower than usual to allow her to keep pace. He grasped her hand as they walked. Suddenly, a demon with a knife sprung out from an allyway.</p><p>"Give me all your money! Don't move or I'll cut you!" The scrawny demon threatened. He clearly didn't think this plan through very well.</p><p>Alastor's head snapped in the direction of the mugger, fire in his eyes. For a brief moment, Alastor felt rage the likes of which cannot fathomably be written about, let alone visualized. He briefly asked the lord, and the universe to take pity on the poor fool stupid enough to pull a knife on his pregnant spouse. He instantly crushed the demon's knife hand, shattering his wrist as the weapon fell. Alastor's maw contorted and mutated until he resembled more beast than man. "You fucked with the wrong family" Alastor said with a deep, inhuman roar. His jaws snapped shut on his wannabe attacker's head. Claws and teeth began to rip away at their target, eviscerating every bit of cloth and flesh until nothing was left but a bloody pile of bones and intestines.</p><p>What Alastor failed to notice in his periphery was a terrified Charlie, who was cowering behind a nearby bush. She was huddled up in a ball, crying.</p><p>The monster Alastor had become stopped his assault to briefly turn around, then doubled back just long enough to see her having a panic attack. His growl quieted, "Oh no, look what I've gone and done now." The monster dragged itself on all fours over to his hyperventilating love.</p><p>"Th-that's enough..." Charlie quietly whispered to herself over and over, her shaking hands covering her face in fear.</p><p>His voice still carried a deep menacing tone despite his best efforts to return to normal. "Please don't be afraid darling, I don't know what came over me. Go and meet me back at the hotel, I'm still not feeling quite myself yet. I'll only be a few minutes, I promise."</p><p> </p><p>Still clearly distressed, she rose to her feet and ran as fast as she could, trying to fight more tears as she went.</p><p>"I've really gone and done it now" Alastor said to himself.</p><p>~~~~~~~~</p><p>Inside the hotel lobby, Charlie had her head in her arms, still crying from the minutes previous as Alastor entered the front door.</p><p>"Charlie!" He cried out.</p><p>"I don't wanna talk to you right now!" She said through her sobs, her eyes red and puffy.</p><p> </p><p>Alastor let his smile down. In the years since he met Charlie, Alastor had grown more lenient with his emotions. He still maintained his cheery persona in public to maintain his threatening image, even around other hotel members. It was only behind closed doors, alone with his wife that he allowed his true self to shine through. He felt the same emotions as everyone else. Anger, fear, sorrow, embarrassment, joy, and love. He was just really good at hiding it.</p><p>Charlie handed him a handkerchief. "Clean yourself up. You look awful."</p><p>He still had quite a bit of blood on his hands, mouth and shirt.</p><p>"C'mon Al, your about to bring a child into this world" Alastor thought to himself. "Is this behavior really something becoming of a good father?"</p><p>Alastor lightly touched Charlie's shoulder. She shrunk back. "You need to be alone right now. I understand."</p><p>Alastor ashamedly walked to his room.</p><p>~~~~</p><p>(3 days later)</p><p>After the incident, Alastor agreed to meet with a psychologist.</p><p>A glasses wearing demon held a notepad in her hand. A poorly scribbled medical license hung on the wall. Opposite the coffee table, Alastor lie on a couch recalling past events in his life.</p><p>"I think I'm having an identity crisis, doc" Alastor said, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>"Hmm... and who exactly do you think you are, Alastor?"</p><p>"I'm... I'm the radio demon for pete's sake! I strike fear into the hearts of sinners far and wide! I'm the most powerful mortal overlord this circle's ever seen, and one day, I'm gonna be running this whole show!"</p><p>"You sound like you've practiced those lines a few times" She said writing something down on her pad. "And what has caused you to question this identity?"</p><p>"I don't know doc, I just feel like maybe I'm... losing my edge, like maybe I'm going soft."</p><p>"A lot of people feel they mellow out with age."</p><p>"I'm not getting old, am I?"</p><p>"Hm, a century is quite a long time for an earthborn."</p><p>Alastor sighed, "I've got a kid on the way."</p><p>"Congratulations."</p><p>"Meh. I'm probably gonna be terrible at it. I'm worried I'll teach them all the wrong things."</p><p>"Do you want them to follow in your footsteps?"</p><p>"No. God no."</p><p>She scribbled down more words on her paper. "Well Alastor, I would say what you're going through is normal. I would just tell you to keep all your communication channels open and avoid letting your emotions get out of check. And whatever you do, don't take any frustration or negativity out on the mom or the child."</p><p>"Dear lord, I would never!"</p><p>"Then you really shouldn't have anything to worry about. Here's my card. Call me if you have any further questions."</p><p>"But wait! How do I reconcile being the radio demon with being a father! I have an almost unconscious compulsion to kill things, how can I fix myself?"</p><p>"Honestly, I don't think you can reconcile it. At some point, your going to have to ask yourself the big question of who you want to be. Of course most people down here fall into a rut of violent and self destructive behavior. If you wanna break that mold, you're gonna have to start making some big changes in your life. And it's gotta be you that does it."</p><p>Alastor stood up from the couch, feeling slightly better. "Thank's doc. Say, why are you down here in hell anyway?"</p><p>"Medical malpractice" she said before cackling like a witch.</p><p>Alastor exited the room with a nervous chuckle.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Day of Delivery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Grocery store (yes, Hell has grocery stores)</p><p>Alastor was picking out produce for tonight's dinner. They were gonna have soup and salad, nothing too heavy. He conversed with Charlie on the phone about what she wanted. She was in the hotel's  entertainment room watching TV with Angel, Husk, and Niffty.</p><p>"Make sure you get water chestnuts, and I don't want any red cabbage" Charlie mentioned.</p><p>Alastor wrote down onto his shopping list. "Water chestnuts. No cabbage. Got it. Anything else? What kind of dressing do you want?"</p><p>"Don't bother, we've got balsamic at home."</p><p>"Got it. Okay, everything should be in order. I'll be home soon."</p><p>"Bye, love."</p><p>"See ya."</p><p>*click*</p><p>Alastor rolled his way toward the checkout, humming a lighthearted tune. About 20 seconds later, his phone started ringing again. It was Charlie.</p><p>"Hello. Did you forget anything?"</p><p>"Um... Al...?" The tone in her voice changed drastically. The words barely stumbled out of her mouth. He could hear the sounds of people scrambling in the background. "It happened..."</p><p>"IT DID?!" Alastor's voice rumbled, echoing through the aisles, most of the other customers stopped and stared in his direction.</p><p>"Yeah, it did. Get over here."</p><p>Al pushed the cart aside and took off running toward the exit. "Okay, I'm on my way!" He flopped down into his car and peeled out of the parking lot.</p><p>~~~~~~~</p><p>As he was pulling into the driveway, he could see Vaggie in the entrance flagging him down. "We're taking your car!" She yelled.</p><p>"You guys didn't have to wait for me, you know!" Al said.</p><p>"I know, but you're the only one with a working car that can drive right now. Charlie's inside, Niffty is packing her things. We'll load her up in the passenger seat."</p><p>Husk and Angel had Charlie leaned on their shoulders. She was wearing a loose laundry day t shirt and some sweatpants. Her hair was a mess. In Alastor's eyes, she never looked more beautiful.</p><p>"Charlie dear, get in the passenger seat" Alastor said moving the chair back as far as it could. "Vaggie, Niffty, Angel, you'll have to squeeze into the back."</p><p>"What about Husk?" Said Vaggie?</p><p>"I'll get a cab, don't worry about me" Husk said in his typical gruff voice.</p><p>Just as the group put their seatbelts on while pulling out of the driveway, a ringing came from Charlie's phone. It was Lucifer.</p><p>Charlie clicked on speaker phone. "H-hi Dad!" Charlie said with sarcastic cheeriness through pained groans.</p><p>"I need to speak to Charlie, is she there?" Lucifer's warbled voice came through the speaker.</p><p>"Yes, what is it, dad?"</p><p>"Are you on your way to the hospital now?"</p><p>"Yes!"</p><p>"Good. Now, I hope I'm not asking too much of you right now, but I would ask that you try and avoid having the child until AFTER your mother and I get there! We shan't be more than a few minutes, I swear!"</p><p>Charlie's teeth grimaced, sweat began to form on her brow. "I'm not exactly sure if I have any control over th- AAAAAAAAHHH FUCK!" Horns and a small amount of flame jutted out of her skull.</p><p>The screaming nearly caused Alastor to swerve.</p><p>"Is that my daughter?" A feminine voice came from out of the phone's background.</p><p>"Mom?! Is that you?!"</p><p>"Yes honey, are you alright?"</p><p>"I'm scared Mom..." Charlie said through labored breaths. "It- it hurts so much!"</p><p>"I know, baby. It's supposed to hurt. It's natural to feel like this right now. What's important right now is to remain calm and focus on taking deep, controlled breaths. Now do you have someone nearby?"</p><p>"Alastor's right here next to me!"</p><p>"Alastor, if you can hear this, give Charlie one of your hands. Charlie, any time you feel pain, I want you to squeeze that hand as hard as you can."</p><p>"Mom, he's driving!"</p><p>"It's okay dear" Alastor said reassuringly. "I can easily drive with one hand."</p><p>"Thanks" Charlie said grasping his hand.</p><p>"Don't mention it... How will I know when it- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" The backseat passengers all jolted from their seats as Charlie's hand gripped down on Alastor's with bone crushing strength.</p><p>"Hmn, you know that actually helped a little" Charlie said smiling.</p><p>~~~~~</p><p>As they pulled into emergency drop off, a nurse came out to greet them. "Can you walk?" She said.</p><p>"I think so... I don't know... How much longer though..." Said Charlie, struggling to get out of the passenger seat.</p><p>"We're gonna need a wheelchair out here." The nurse spoke into her radio.</p><p>As they wheeled her through the brightly lit sanitary halls of the hospital, they passed by Charlie's parents, who had arrived early.</p><p>"Are you the grandparents?" One of the doctor's spoke.</p><p>"Yes, I'm her father." Lucifer spoke.</p><p>"If that's the case, I'll need to know your insurance provider."</p><p>Lucifer picked the doctor up by the collar and shook him. "Sure, how about 'I'm The Fucking King LLC'? It's a subsidiary of 'Feed You Your Own Testicles Incorporated'!"</p><p>"I... apologize... your highness..." The doctor choked.</p><p>"It's okay dad." Charlie said, now wearing her hospital gown.</p><p>Lucifer knelt down and placed his hand on her cheek. "My little girl.... Make sure they treat you well. I'll make sure you have the best care money can buy. I'll be right outside if you need anything."</p><p>"Thanks dad." Charlie said with a tear in her eye.</p><p>Another doctor walked in reading Charlie's file on a clipboard. "Alright we have room for the father and one other family member in the delivery room."</p><p>"Take Vaggie. She's my closest friend" Charlie winced.</p><p>Vaggie looked surprised. "Really? Not your mom or dad?"</p><p>"They can wait. Besides, I want you there."</p><p>Vaggie blushed, "Wow, I-I don't know what to say."</p><p>Alastor chimed in. "Then don't say anything! We've gotta move!" He led the way, pushing doctors and nurses out of his path.</p><p>"Delivery room's this way, sir" one of the nurses said.</p><p>Al turned around, embarrassed, then started toward the opposite direction.</p><p>~~~~~~</p><p>Alastor and Vaggie had a brief moment to breathe outside the delivery room while Charlie waited for her cervix to dilate to an adiquate width. She had elected for a vaginal birth with no anesthesia. Despite doctor's recommendations, she said she wanted to feel what her mother felt when she had her. Alastor didn't want to see her in any pain, but Vaggie knew she was a tough gal and respected the decision.</p><p>"Are you ready?" Vaggie said to Alastor. "Your lives are about to change forever."</p><p>"Can one truly be ready for something of this magnitude?" His extremities grew cold. All the months of build up, worrying, book reading, planning, crib shopping, room decorating. It would all be worth it in the end. "I can honestly say that becoming a father is one of the best decisions I've ever made. This is probably the proudest moment of my life, next to the day I asked Charlie to marry me.</p><p>Vaggie crossed her arms. "You know, I just hope you realize just how lucky you are to end up with a girl like Charlie."</p><p>And there it was. The pang of guilt hit Alastor right in the chest. "Oh haha, you're right. I almost forget sometimes that you and Charlie used to date."</p><p>Awkward conversations between the two were inevitable, especially since both retained such a large presence in Charlie's life.</p><p>"Yeah well, I'm mostly just here for her."</p><p>Alastor's voice turned sincere for once. "Thank you for retaining the friendship. I don't know what she'd do without you."</p><p>"Yeah, well I've known for a long time just how much Charlie wanted to be a mom, and seeing how happy you've made her, I find it kind of hard to stay angry."</p><p>"If only there were two Charlies." Alastor chuckled.</p><p>A nurse walked out and motioned toward the two guests. "Dad? She's ready. You're gonna wanna see this."</p><p>"Thanks for letting me be a part of this." Vaggie said as she walked back into the delivery room.</p><p>"Of course." Alastor said following her.</p><p>~~~~~~~</p><p>November 23, 9:49 pm Hell Standard Time</p><p>Ticking clock, cold white flourescent light. Odor of disinfectant in the air. Short panted breaths on one Charlotte Magne.</p><p>Her heart labored to beat enough oxygen to her head, legs shaking from exertion.</p><p>"I...I need to take a break..." She said with hurried breath.</p><p>Her red-clad partner dabs a cold sponge against her forehead, feeds the straw of a water bottle up to her mouth.</p><p>The world outside drew strangely quiet.</p><p>A masked doctor with flashlight and spectacles calmly addressed the family. "Are you ready to go again Charlie? You're almost there."</p><p>"I (huff)... think so." Charlie said face more pale than usual.</p><p>"You're so close Charlie!" Vaggie said, attempting to encourage. "You're gonna be a mom soon!" She held Charlie's hand tightly.</p><p> </p><p>After a few seconds, Charlie let out an exhausted scream. "I can't.... I can't... It hurts so fucking much!"</p><p>"Don't think about that, Charlie!" Alastor pleaded. "Think about us! Think about the beautiful baby you're going to have in a few moments!"</p><p>"Whenever you're ready dear" the nurse said.</p><p>"One more big one and you're done. Now, when I say push, you push." The Doctor followed.</p><p>Adrenaline coursed through Charlie's veins. Her breathing drew deep and focused. She clenched the hands of her companions and her chest expanded once more. </p><p>Screams. Bloodcurdling screams. Pushing. The pulling of hands. The tearing of flesh. Blood. Fluid. Seconds that felt like hours. Tears.</p><p>And then...</p><p>... ...</p><p>A new scream.</p><p>New tears.</p><p>The first precious cries of life.</p><p> </p><p>For a few seconds, the traffic in hell grinded to a halt. The torments ceased. The fires quelled. People in the streets looked confused at eachother. </p><p>The bronze bell from an old mausoleum tolled, breaking the silence.</p><p>tum...</p><p> </p><p>tum...</p><p> </p><p>tum...</p><p>After a few more seconds, the chatter resumed, and the fires ignited once more.</p><p>Inside the hospital, a lullaby played over the intercom. Charlie's friends and family in the waiting room all smiled.</p><p>A hour later, they went in pairs to visit Charlie in her room, fitted with warm lamps and a much more comfortable bed.</p><p>Very few words were exchanged that night. Nothing but awestruck grins at the little one swaddled in Charlie's arms.</p><p>Alastor looked into Charlie's eyes. They were content, relaxed. Like all was right with the world. And then she handed the bundle to her husband.</p><p>And for the second time in his life, something clicked in his mind.</p><p>He looked at the sleeping face of this... thing. This little ball of flesh that shared her mother's face. His own flesh and blood. This helpless little thing.</p><p>"My god, what have I been doing with my life?" he thought to himself. As if a switch had been flipped, priorities shifted, worldviews changed. Once he stared into the eyes of his daughter, Alastor was never the same.</p><p>He sat there, dumbstruck. "Haha.. ha...... ha..." Each laugh eaked out a little quieter. For the first time in what must've been years, his facial muscles relaxed. His lip quivered.</p><p>"What's wrong honey?" Charlie said</p><p>"I... I..."</p><p>"What? Just say it."</p><p>"I think... I don't want to kill people... anymore..." He said flatly.</p><p>Charlie smiled from ear to ear. "Really?! That's wonderful!"</p><p>Alastor handed the baby back to her mother, then stared at the ground, half shocked laughter, half choking back tears.</p><p>The door to the room slid open. It was Angel Dust. "Aw shit! Let me see the lil titsucker!"</p><p>Charlie shushed him. "Shhhh Angel please, inside voice, she's sleeping."</p><p>"Oh shit, sorry" Angel apologized. "So it's a girl?"</p><p>"Yes, we've been deciding on a name now for while." Charlie said.</p><p>"Can I hold her?"</p><p>"Okay but be careful, she's very fragile."</p><p>Angel removed one of his gloves and brought a silky finger up to the baby's lips.</p><p>"Jesus Angel, do you know where that hand's been?" Alastor whispered.</p><p>"Hey, shut the hell up Al. I wash my hands thoroughly." Angel retorted.</p><p>Another knock at the door. This time, it was Lucifer and a suspicious looking hooded man. Charlie recognized it as the same hood  from the night of the consummation ceremony. She gasped, took the baby from Angel Dust, and covered it with her arms.</p><p>"No! You can't have her!" She said, believing they were there to take the child away from her.</p><p>Lucifer put his hands up. "Relax, we're not doing that. My friend here is just going to blood christen the new princess."</p><p>"Okay... But no funny business" she said, reluctantly handing the baby over to Lucifer.</p><p>"Hello little one, I'm your granddad." He said in a gentle voice, very unbecoming for the so-called prince of darkness.</p><p>From the pouch in his robe, the dark priest produced a cloth, a bowl, and a small red vial. He started by pouring the red liquid into the bowl. He then dipped his thumb into the bowl and painted a small, upside-down cross on the baby's forehead, speaking in Latin as he went.</p><p>"What is the child's name?"</p><p>Charlie looked at Alastor and nodded.</p><p>"Alexandria" she said.</p><p>"Alex" Alastor followed. "If it was a boy, he would've been named Alexander."</p><p>"Ooh, very regal-sounding. I like it!" Lucifer commented.</p><p>The hooded man spoke. "Spiritus terrae dare potentiam, scientia nurus ausa Alexandriam" (Spirit of the earth, grant wisdom, power, knowledge, and courage to your daughter Alexandria)</p><p>Lucifer motioned over to Alastor, pointing to the ground in front of him. "Kneel."</p><p>"Me?" Alastor said confused.</p><p>"Yes you. Kneel in front of me before I change my mind."</p><p>Charlie gasped, a toothy grin erupting from her mouth, knowing what her father was about to do.</p><p>Alastor took a knee as he was told.</p><p>Lucifer snapped a finger and produced a decorative short sword out of thin air. He placed the wide end of the blade above one of Alastor's shoulders, then the other. "As King of Hell, I officially grant thee the title of royal consort to Princess Charlotte, affording thee all the rights and privileges thereof." This kind of title giving was very foreign to Lucifer. As such, his speech patterns were very off-the-cuff. "As such, I also grant thee the title of Lord Regent. Where are you from, son?"</p><p>"New Orleans, Louisiana"</p><p>"Really? That pisshole?" Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Whatever... Lord Alastor of New Orleans."</p><p>"Uh... Thanks" Alastor said, trying not to take offense. "What do I get?"</p><p>"Absolutely nothing." Lucifer said assuredly.</p><p>"That's not true" Charlie said. "It means you can go to the palace without the guard's trying to skewer you. It also means..." </p><p>Charlie grinned with giddy excitement.</p><p>"You're officially a part of the family!"</p><p>"Oh, haha... Wonderful" Alastor said, nervously looking over his shoulder.</p><p>Angel Dust elbow bumped him. "Hey, does that mean I gotta start callin' ya 'your royal pompous shitbag' now?"</p><p>"Lord shitbag will suffice" Alastor said with a hint of arrogance.</p><p>"Hmmm... Nah, I'll just stick with callin' ya 'daddy'."</p><p>"You'll call me that only if you want a slap across the face!"</p><p>"How bout a slap across the penis?"</p><p>Charlie cleared her throat. "Angel, I'm sitting right here."</p><p>"Don't you gotta kid to worry about, toots?"</p><p>"Speaking of..." Charlie said, "I'd like my baby back now."</p><p>"Apologies sweetie, here you are" Lucifer said handing Alex back to her mother.</p><p>"Thanks dad"</p><p>"The pleasure was all mine! Remember to bring the little one to the palace any time you wish. I can't wait to play with my granddaughter!"</p><p>~~~~~~~</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Oxytocin, The Love Chemical</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few hours later, Charlie lay in her hospital bed, with little sleeping Alex curled up in her arms. Alastor sat snoring in the chair beside them. A nurse quietly closes the door behind her.</p><p>"Would you like to try breastfeeding?" She says.</p><p>"I don't know what to do. I don't wanna interrupt her sleeping." Charlie responded</p><p>"She'll be sleeping a lot in the next few days, but it's important that she eat now so she can grow, and she needs to grow fast."</p><p>"Okay, how do I do that?"</p><p>"It's easy once you get the hang of it. Just hold her like this..." the nurse said adjusting the baby horizontally with Charlie's chest, "...then gently bring her head up to the nipple; she should latch on automatically."</p><p>Almost like magic, the mouth connected like a magnet and immediately began sucking.</p><p>"Wow, that was really easy." Charlie whispered.</p><p>"You're lucky. Sometimes it takes a while for mother and baby to form a connection. Unfortunately, sometimes a mother can't breastfeed naturally, and have to feed with a bottle instead. It's important though, because not only does breast milk pass along antibodies, it also helps form a strong bond between mother and child that lasts a lifetime."</p><p>"Wow, there's so much stuff the books my mom gave me don't say."</p><p>"It's also important for you and dad to play with her and speak to her everyday, so that her brain develops the way it's supposed to."</p><p>"Oh you don't have to worry about that" Charlie chuckled, "I can't remember Alastor being more excited for anything else. I think his desire to be a dad overruled any hesitancy toward being in a physical relationship with me."</p><p>"Did you have any hangups with being a mom?" The nurse said.</p><p>"At first. All my previous boyfriends were jerks, I started wondering if there was something wrong with me.</p><p>Then I met Vaggie and it turned my life around."</p><p>"Vaggie?"</p><p>"She's my ex. We got a long great, and we were happy for a time. But..."</p><p>"But...?" </p><p>Charlie sighed, "But there was just something she couldn't give me.... A child.</p><p>She asked me if I wanted to consider adoption, but.... it just didn't feel right. I wanted something more.... I don't know.... real? Something I can hold in my hands and know that it's my own flesh and blood. Does that make me a bad person?"</p><p>"Not at all, a lot of people feel that way."</p><p>Alex's mouth detached from Charlie's nipple with a *pop*. "Haha, are you full, sweetie?" Charlie giggled.</p><p>As the nurse left the room, Alastor opened his eyes.</p><p>"Is that all I am to you...?"</p><p>Charlie quickly turned her head. "Oh, Al! When did you get up?"</p><p>Alastor's expression was foreboding. "Am I nothing but a walking donor of genetic material to you?"</p><p>Charlie's eyebrows lowered, a tightness formed in her throat. "W-what?"</p><p>"Just now, you said things between you and Vagatha were going swimmingly, until you decided you wanted a child. Then you came to me. Is that correct?"</p><p>Alex started fussing.</p><p>"Oh please, Al don't start on this..." She couldn't believe they were fighting on the happiest day of their lives.</p><p>"Is that why you married me, huh? So I would give you a kid?! Is it because you wanted a 'legacy', just like your precious father?!"</p><p>"No! Alastor I swear it's not like that!"</p><p>"Don't..." Alastor put a fist in front of his teeth, to hide them from clenching. His eyes grew wet. "Don't you toy with my emotions... Not now... Not after all we've been through."</p><p>"Al..." She said with sincerity, brushing her hand against his chin. "I liked Vaggie, I still do.</p><p>But I love you, do you understand me? I married you because I love you. I had a child with you because I love you." Her lip quivered. "I can't live without you..." she whispered.</p><p>"Why?" Alastor whispered back. "Why didn't you want a ring? I would've paid anything, put myself in the poorhouse to give you any ring you desired. Do you think our marriage is some kind of sham?"</p><p>"You're still going on about that? We don't need a stupid symbol of our affection! It's already self evident in the way we live every day! I only got this silly tattoo on my neck to make you feel better. Our love is stronger than any diamond, and it will last long past the day our bones have turned to dust! You want a real symbol of out love, then look at this!"</p><p>Charlie picked Alex up by the sides and shoved her right in Alastor's face.</p><p>Alex didn't like being moved and stared to cry.</p><p>"Oh jeez, look at what I've done now" Charlie said. "Can you walk around with her? I can't move from my bed."</p><p>Alastor held his daughter for a few seconds, then looked up at the spitting image in the eyes of his wife. Awestruck, he laughed loudly for an inordinate amount of time. Long enough for Charlie to grow uncomfortable. </p><p>"That sounded an awful lot like how the radio demon used to laugh." She thought to herself.</p><p>Alastor exhaled deeply after his hearty gut- laugh. "Why did I ever worry so much?"</p><p>~~~~~~</p><p>Epilogue</p><p>That spring, the young family moved out to a small beachfront house a ten minute's drive from the hotel and within walking distance from Magne Castle.</p><p>The house was originally Charlie's family's summer house when she was a girl. It was recommended to them by Charlie's father, no doubt so he could keep a close eye on his daughter and the young heiress.</p><p>Charlie took six months off of Hotel duty for maternity leave. At which point Alastor took over much of her duties. When she returned to full time, her and Alastor traded off staying home so at least one of them was home to take care of the baby, with them together on weekends.</p><p>It's 5 years later now, Charlie and Alastor are considering having another kid but haven't decided for certain yet.</p><p>Alex is in school now, learning to spell and color. She has Charlie's hair, pale skin, and red cheeks. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
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